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Nelson youths get kitten high with a bong

A photograph of kitten being held over a bong has been put on a 14-year-old boy’s Facebook page, horrifying the kitten’s owner.

Police were alerted to the picture through their own Facebook page by people concerned about animal cruelty, as it appeared the kitten could have been getting high off the smoke.

The photo, which was first published in the Nelson Mail, shows two boys holding the kitten’s nose and mouth over the neck of a plastic bottle.

Police communications area manager Barbara Dunn said the two, who were identified as 14 and 16-year-olds, had been interviewed by police and referred to youth aid.

“Youth justice is an option, we’re looking at all of those options at this stage,” she said.

The case is still under investigation, but police are considering charges of ill-treatment of an animal, possession of drug paraphernalia and drugs, along with supervision charges for their parents or guardians.

The owner of the kitten, which was the family pet of one of the people involved, has also been interviewed by police.